“What is unclear, is whether President Erdogan actually used the expression `I apologize`,” says Bryza. “In any case, the Kremlin is calling Erdogan`s statement an apology, which will allow the countries to rebuild their damaged relations.”
“Such a sequence of developments was long anticipated, at least by me, as the way these two proud and strong leaders [Erdogan and Putin] would overcome the diplomatic impasse between their countries,” he said.
“Today is a big day for Turkey`s diplomacy with Ankara and Jerusalem also announcing agreement on the normalization of Turkey-Israel relations,” added Bryza.
Bryza believes that these two moves were foreshadowed in the first moments of Prime Minister Binali Yildirim`s term in office, when he noted that “Turkey needed more friends in the world.”
“Bottom line: Putin claims Erdogan apologized, and Erdogan can claim he said something a little different. Both leaders save face and relations improve,” he said characterizing the developments.
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